CARLOS LARA
Carlos is a bilingual, licensed national tour guide for the country of Ecuador with two decades of experience - and a lifetime of exploring his native home. Rich in knowledge with local friends too numerous to count - if you’re new to Ecuador, you can depend on this guy to see you through your journey. Carlos has been with Explore Ecuador since its inception. He’s a limitless source of information, and a great friend!
“I want to invite you to enjoy Ecuador!”
Lori Z
Lori wears a lot of hats at Explore Ecuador as co-host, producer, co-director…and it’s all a labor of love for Ecuador. Lori moved from the US to Ecuador with her family in 2015. Her last “real” job was that of Human Resources and Marketing Manager for a large $100 million public works general contractor. After 15 years of corporate work, she joined creative forces with Doug in 1999. Her favorite hobbies are photography, exploring, and going fast. She and Doug are raising two energetic daughters.
“Visit Ecuador and you’ll fall in love.”
scott michael
Explore Ecuador first launched with Co-host, photographer Scott Michael. He is an artist and pro photographer from the US - and consumer of all things adventurous. Scott and family are currently in the US, and are looking forward to returning to Ecuador and discovering more about this great county.
“My heart is in Ecuador!”
The crew
Doug Z: producer, Director of Photography
A resident of Ecuador since 2015, Doug has more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of video production, from concept to completion. He’s always behind the camera, but we caught a rare pic of him without it! He and co-director, Lori, have been married for 32 years and have been a creative team for 20 years. Not surprisingly, Doug’s favorite hobby is photography lol!
Candice D:
General Counsel
We rely on Candice for research and contract negotiations. As both a registered nurse and attorney, Candice watches our backs on many levels! Married to host Scott, and raising three kiddos, she is constantly on her toes! She loves to get out and explore (and often provides that voice of reason we all need!)
Monica T:
communications
Monica is a native to Ecuador, born in Cuenca. She lived in the US for more than two decades, before moving back to Ecuador. Having a degree in accounting, she is a detail person, and highly organized. She is the ideal person to help us with translation, communication and research.
Felipe G:
Transportation and communications
Born in Cuenca, Felipe moved to the United States with his family, while still in grade school. After nearly 30 years in the US, he moved back to Ecuador, with his wife and children. Fully bilingual, Felipe provides transportation, translation, and an extra hand on location.